Team Chaotix: The Unexpected Mission
by bubbaboy44
Summary: Everything was great for Sonic and his friends after the events of Sonic Heroes, but there was a new, but familiar, threat lurking in the shadows. Sounds like a job for: Team Chaotix. Will they be able to stop this threat? Plus, an old ally returns for good, and this ally has Espio considering he has feelings.
1. Chapter 1

**Team Chaotix: an Unexpected Mission**

**Prologue: The Briefing**

**AN (Author's Notes): Hey guys, thought I would give myself a shot at a Sonic Story. This one involving Team Chaotix and Tikal. Can't share all the content, but I hope you like it.**

**As I normally do things, I don't own Sonic and all content and plots are created by me. Enjoy the Prologue. Just giving everyone a hint, this takes place after Sonic Heroes.**

Everyone was returning to their normal lives after the encounter with Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic. Life for all the teams seemed to be pretty easy from that point on. Even Shadow and his former Team Dark companions were enjoying the time away. Yep, Life was as great as ever. At least for the time being.

The only problem with this simple life was no action for the detective team, Team Chaotix. Vector, Charmy, and Espio's business was in some rough times. They weren't getting income, and it was reflecting poorly on the budget for the business. They needed work, or they would be out of a job by the next month.

"What are we going to do," exclaimed a worried Espio, "If we don't get work, then there goes our business. We've spent up almost all our money from that Eggman mission. What do you propose we do, Vector," asked the chameleon to his boss.

Vector, who was jamming to the tunes on his headphones while leaning back in his seat, just looked over at Espio and smirked, "Don't worry, Espio. We'll get the money. Besides, we need some downtime. Enjoy it."

Charmy, who had been reading a magazine to pass the time, agreed with his boss, "Yeah, fun time. Fun time. Fun time. Fun time…", he yelled excitedly while flying through the air.

"Yeah, but do we need three whole months of it," pondered Espio, "I mean, I've trained my skills and everything, but there's nothing more that I could do. I need some action."

"Calm down, Espio," commanded Vector, "You need to take things easy. Go with the flow a little. Why don't you go find yourself a girl? How long has it been since you had a date," Vector asked.

Espio, feeling uneasy about the question, jumped back a little at the question, but tried to remain calm and answered, "A ninja, like me, has no time for dating. Besides, all the girls that we met a long time back seem to be taken. There's no girl out there for me. I will just be lonely, and that is okay," stated the chameleon.

Vector and Charmy just stared at their friend with no emotion. "Boring," exclaimed Charmy.

"Yeah, you need a girl, Espio. I got it, if there's a nice girl that we meet on our next mission, then let's try and hook you up with her," suggested Vector, "It'll be perfect, we'll get paid and you get a date. It's a win-win for all of us."

"Yay, I like your plans, Vector. You're so smart," stated Charmy.

"It all comes from having the brains in this agency," Vector said with pride, " where would be without me," he asked rhetorically.

Espio turned away and rolled his eyes. _Oh, Brother. I don't have time for a girl, but I do hope we get a mission soon. _He sighed and was beginning to exit.

Suddenly, there came a signal over their transponder, "Hello…Hello….Is there…one….there…" The signal was very static, but you could make out some of the words. Vector fell out of his seat, nearly kicking Charmy, but missed him by an inch. Espio turned and rushed over to their transponder. "Hello, there is somebody here. Are you still there? Come in. Come in," called Espio into the transponder. They waited a few seconds for any feedback.

"Hello…Is any…one…there," replied the signal. Espio tried his best to fix the signal, but it wasn't working. "Hello, this is Espio of the Chaotix. We're here. Is there something wrong," he yelled into the transponder. Vector and Charmy were listening intently after recovering from the earlier scene.

"Who is it Espio," asked Vector.

"I don't know. I can't make out a clear signal. There's too much static," Espio said as he returned to fixing the signal.

"It's a mystery. Oooowhooooooooooohhhhh," stated Charmy making alien theme noises. Vector shook his head at him.

Hello, Hello….Is anyone there," stated the mystery voice, now more clearer this time after Espio messed with it a little. It sounded like a girl's voice

"Hello, we're here. Are you alright," Espio replied to the voice.

"Yes, I'm fine here, for the moment, but I am in need of help of a coming threat. Can you help me," asked the person.

"She sounds cute," suggested Charmy.

Espio rolled his eyes and returned to transponder, "Yes, we can help, but we don't work for free. Is that alright," asked Espio.

"Money isn't a problem with me. If you help me, I will pay you whatever you desire," said the voice. Vector got that business look in his eyes as his eyes turned to dollar signs. He rubbed his hands together.

"She sounds rich, too," said Vector excitedly.

"If you're willing to pay, then you have got the Team Chaotix detective agency. What would you like us to do," asked Espio.

"Oh, great. Thank you. I can't talk here. You need to go to the Master Emerald. I will be there once you activate it. See you there," said the mystery girl. Her signal faded into static. Espio turned off the transponder.

"The master Emerald, where's that," asked a confused Espio.

"I know, Knuckles protects an Emerald called the Master Emerald. I bet that's what she means. Let's find him and ask him where it is," answered Vector.

"Alright, let's go," said Charmy excitedly. He was too anxious to get to work.

"Okay, but let's practice caution this time. We don't know what could happen this time," informed a concerned Espio.

"Whatever, let's go meet our client. Alright, Team Chaotix is back in business," shouted an excited Vector, " And who knows, Espio, this could be your lucky chance at meeting a girl."

"Ooooooh, Espio is getting a girlfriend," teased Charmy.

"No, I'm not. Let's get to work," stated Espio. At that, they all left the offices and went to find Knuckles.

**That concludes the Prologue. Please follow, review, and favorite this story if you like it. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 1: meeting the client

**Team Chaotix: an Unexpected Mission**

**Chapter 1: Meeting the Client**

**Hey guys! Here is the first chapter to the story. Please review and follow. **

**As usual, I don't own any of Sonic the Hedgehog. All content and plots are created by me. Enjoy!**

The Chaotix were running through the streets of Station Square. Espio was leading the way, as he was following the trail using his senses. Vector and Charmy were following close behind. All of them were anxious to meet with the person who would be paying them. _Whoever this person is, I just hope they don't try to lead us on a goose chase like Eggman did. _Vector thought to himself all the way.

Soon, they were running into a jungle. Things were starting to get in their way, but they still followed their path all the way through the thickest part of the jungle. Finally, they made it out of the jungle and ended up at some coast. They stopped to take a short break.

"The trail is getting stronger. I sense that we will meet up with Knuckles soon enough. We just have…to…um, guys, we have a problem," said Espio. He looked out from the coast and didn't like what he saw. Espio motioned for Vector and Charmy to join him. When they had, they all stopped and looked dumbfounded at each other.

What they saw ahead of them was nothing but ocean, as far as the eye could see. There was no land in sight. Then, they all looked further out and saw a floating island.

"Since when do islands float," asked a clueless Vector.

"I don't think ever, boss, what do we do," asked a confused Charmy. They all looked at each other for an answer, but no one had one. They all couldn't help but sigh.

"What are we supposed to do now," Vector complained. It seemed hopeless for the Chaotix.

Then, Espio looked over and saw a platform of some kind. "Look, over there," stated Espio. They all ran over to the platform and investigated it.

"What is it," questioned Vector. Everyone was stumped at the platform.

Charmy, who didn't have nothing else to do, decided to have a little fun and play with the panels on the platform. As he was having his fun, he accidentally made one go down, like a button of some kind. Just then, the platform lit up. They all jumped back in fright.

"I didn't mean to….I'm sorry," apologized the bee. He got on his knees and begged for mercy. Vector went over to him and helped Charmy up.

"Don't worry about it. I think it was supposed to be like that," encouraged Vector. Charmy let out a sigh of relief. "What do you think it's for, Espio," Vector asked.

Espio walked around the platform, observing it. He wanted to make sure that it didn't look harmful. When he got back around in front of it, he looked at the lit up part and saw land through the light.

"I think this is a teleporter of some kind. There's some land on the other side. We should have one of us go through it and make sure," resolved Espio.

Vector nodded, "Ok, let's see…Charmy, go through that portal and make sure there is land on the other side. If there is, come back and let us know," informed Vector.

"Why me," asked Charmy.

"Because, you can fly. If there's no land, you can fly back through and let us know. Plus, you opened it first, so you get the honors. Now go," commanded Vector.

Charmy let out a big sigh and went through it. Vector and Espio saw him disappear for a few seconds. Then, Charmy whizzed back through.

"Guys, you were right. It is a teleporter, and it leads to that island in the sky. Come on," said and excited Charmy.

Vector and Espio both nodded and followed him through. To their surprise, Charmy was right. They ended up coming through the portal to the floating island. The floating island just looked like a normal island, except for the big pyramid in the middle of the island with a huge emerald on it.

Vector did a double take when he saw the huge Emerald. Everyone's else's mouth dropped. They couldn't believe the size of that Emerald.

"Wow, that…that…that is huge," shouted Vector. The other two nodded in agreement. They decided to go towards that. "Oh, yeah, Espio is Knuckles trail stronger here," questioned Vector.

Espio used his instincts. The trail was very strong. Knuckles was close. "Yes, he's here somewhere."

They made it to the foot of the pyramid on the island. They decided to walk up to the big Emerald and take a closer look at it. When they got up to the top, they all stood and were shocked at the size of it. They all bent backwards and said, "Wow."

Just then, Espio felt a presence. "Guys, it's Knuckles. He's coming this way," they all turned to greet the echidna.

As Knuckles approached the Master Emerald, he looked up to see three figures at the foot of it. He quickly ran to the pyramid to investigate. When he arrived, the figures started to look a little familiar. Then, he stopped when he noticed who the figures were. He recognized the Chaotix, but wondered why they were at the Master Emerald.

Suddenly, they turned and saw Knuckles. Knuckles ran up to meet the detectives. "Just what do you think you're doing there," he shouted, "Stay away from that precious jewel." He ran at them and lunged to strike. The Chaotix quickly got out of the way.

They all looked confused why Knuckles was attacking them.

"Hold on, Knuckles. We don't mean any harm. We are here on business," said Vector trying to negotiate.

Knuckles got up and turned at the team. "What sort of business? The kind that involves stealing the Master Emerald," shouted the echidna.

Charmy realized what Knuckles said, "Wait, this is the Master Emerald. Wait, no, Knuckles, we're not her to steal anything. We're here to meet a client for a mission," said Charmy trying to reason with him.

Knuckles stopped and tried to punch at Charmy. Charmy only flew away from him before he swung. "Liars, I know what you're trying to do…" accused Knuckles, but, before he could finish, Espio grabbed hold of him and came out of camouflage.

"Calm down, Knuckles. Let us reason with you. We're not here to steal anything. If we were, we would've been gone by now. I give you my word, we're not here to steal that jewel. A client wanted us to meet them here. So, we're here. Now, I'm going to let you go, and if I do, can you promise not to hurt us. I promise, my team won't touch the Master Emerald without your permission. Okay," reasoned the chameleon. As he said that, Knuckles calmed down a bit and nodded.

Slowly, Espio let Knuckles go and backed away. Knuckles calmed down and said, "Okay, so if you are here to meet you client, then where are they," he asked.

All three of the Chaotix shrugged. "We don't know," they all said. Knuckles just sighed and nodded, "Okay, then what does your client look like," he asked again.

Again, they all shook their heads, "We don't know that, either," they all said. Knuckles sighed again. "Fine then, when are they supposed to meet with you," he asked.

And again, they all shrugged.

Suddenly, Espio sensed something going on with the Emerald, "The power of the Emerald is growing. Something's going on. Does it do this often," asked the chameleon. Knuckles shook his head, "Nope, and it's been doing this for the past few days. It's like something wrong is going on with the Emerald."

"I see," said Espio. He turned and looked at the Emerald closer. He then noticed that the glowing got brighter and brighter.

"Hello, Is anyone out there," yelled a voice from the Emerald. The Chaotix all recognized the voice, it was their client.

"Yes, there's somebody here. It's the people you spoke to earlier. We're here, just as you asked," answered Espio.

"Oh, good. I'm glad you are here. I need your help, but, first, I need to get out of the Emerald," pleaded the mystery girl. Knuckles soon recognized that familiar voice.

"That's Tikal. Tikal, are you alright. It's Knuckles," shouted the echidna.

"Knuckles, what are you doing here. It's good to hear you, but I don't need your help. I need the people I called on to help me," she shouted.

Knuckles nodded, "I know, but I'm the only one that can get you out. Will you allow me to help," offered Knuckles.

"Ok, but only for this," she said. Knuckles walked over to the Master Emerald. He placed his hand on the Emerald, closed his eyes, and concentrated on releasing Tikal from the Emerald. All of a sudden, the power of the Emerald shined brighter than it had before. It made a sudden shockwave that blew the Chaotix back. Then, the power of the Emerald faded, revealing a woman floating outside the Emerald. The girl floated down to the ground, landing right in front of Espio.

Espio, who was knocked back, got up to see the figure of the woman in front of him. He couldn't believe what he saw that his jaw dropped. The girl in front of him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was light brown, dressed in some ancient clothes, and looked exactly like Knuckles.

The girl Echidna opened her eyes to meet with Espio's. Espio blushed when her eyes met his. He quickly turned away nervously. She raised an eyebrow at the gesture. Vector and Charmy, who also dropped their jaws, quickly saw what Espio did. They looked at each other and smiled. They knew what they had to do. They walked over to Espio. Knuckles came running down the steps to meet with the group.

"Tikal, Tikal…It's really you. It's good to see you again," Knuckles said excitedly. He ran and gave her a hug. She hugged him and looked at the other three.

"Hello, you must be the three I was talking to. It's nice to meet you all," She looked back at Espio who still had his back turned. She wondered why he did that.

The Chaotix, minus Espio, nodded to the girl Echidna.

"It's nice to meet you, Tikal. We are the Chaotix Detective Agency. My name is Vector," introduced the alligator. Charmy flew forward, "I'm Charmy. Nice to meet you," he said excitedly. Tikal then looked over at Espio.

At that, Vector and Charmy turned Espio around and pushed him forward, "This is our master Ninja and sleuth, Espio. He's shy. Sorry if he looked like he was being rude," Vector informed. Tikal raised her eyes in understanding.

Knuckles went to Tikal, "Tikal, what are you doing here. What's wrong," he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's not a big deal. Not anything that these three will be willing to handle," she said.

Knuckles frowned at that statement, "I don't know. Are you sure you don't need me," he asked again.

"I'm sure. Knuckles, If I need you, I will let you know. I promise, these three are who I need. The matter isn't that bad," she said.

Knuckles just shrugged, "Okay, but if you get into trouble. Don't be afraid to come to me for help," he suggested. Tikal nodded. At that, Knuckles left to leave Tikal and the Chaotix alone. Tikal, then, turned to the team.

"So, our job isn't that bad. But the way you sounded.."Vector was interrupted by Tikal," I know the way I sounded just now, but the problem I have is a potential big one, but I need help that is able to do the work without getting a lot of others involved. These guys don't need to help, for now," she said, "Now, my problem is this. I live inside the Master Emerald after my society, long ago, almost destroyed us all, but, we were forced inside the Emerald to live for eternity, but we can come outside it when we want to when there's trouble, and there is. Another being who was living there inside the emerald has escaped," she informed.

"Okay, so, who was this being," inquired Espio.

"The being's name was Chaos. It was huge water monster that was the cause of almost wiping out my people. He was here once before a while back, but Knuckles and his friends destroyed him and put him back in the Emerald. Recently, though, he escaped somehow and is now wanting to destroy this world like he did to my world back then," she informed.

The Chaotix eyes widened. "So, you're saying a monster that nearly wiped you guys out way back when you lived is out and wanting to kill again," Vector asked. Tikal nodded, "We need to return the monster to the Emerald before it's too late. If we don't do it, then this world's doomed."

The Chaotix nodded. "Okay, so our job is to find this monster, stop him, and bring him back," Vector summarized. Tikal nodded again, "You will be rewarded for your efforts handsomely," she said. Charmy and Vector smiled from ear to ear, "Lady, you got a deal. We're in," Vector said. Tikal smiled, "Great, now let's get to work. Where do we start," she asked.

"That's easy for us. We start where the monster exited. The emerald. Espio, do your job," commanded Vector. Espio nodded and went to the Emerald. He closed his eyes and concentrated, sensing for anything suspicious.

"Why does he do that," asked Tikal at the Chameleon's actions. "He does that to help us get a better understanding of our scene. He's a master at detection, " complimented Charmy. Tikal nodded.

Just then, Espio sensed something, "there's a trail that leads away from the Emerald. We better follow it," Espio said. They all nodded. "That must be Chaos. We have to find him." They all nodded again. At that, they left to follow the trail

**That does it for the first chapter. Hope you all will like this. Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Team Chaotix: an Unexpected Mission**

**Chapter 2: Accommodate to your Surroundings**

**Hey guys! Here's Chapter 2! Thank you for all the views. **

**Anyways, I don't own Sonic. Any plots or content are all by me. Enjoy!**

Espio had locked on to the trail of where Chaos went. They all followed close behind him. They noticed that the trail was leading them to the edge of the Island. They stopped at the edge of it. Espio concentrated closely on the trail. "It seems our monster left the island. He seems to have gone that way. We better get back to the teleporter and pick up the trail from there," He said. The group nodded in agreement and made their way to the teleporter.

As they were going back, Vector thought it would be a good time to get to know their client. "So, Tikal, you're from a different time," he asked.

She nodded, "Yes, I am. I've not really been to this time at all, except when I was helping your friend, Sonic and Knuckles. So, I'm not really used to your world."

Vector nodded and thought to himself. _So, this girl has no clue to what our times are like and what our world is like. Interesting. This might work to my advantage. _He smirked after he thought. "Well, since you haven't really been here before. We'll help you get used to your surroundings. We won't ask you to pay us extra for it. Plus, if the trail leads us to any cities, we'll stop there and get you some clothes. We don't need people wondering who you are," He said.

Tikal smiled at their offer and nodded, "Thank you, Vector. That is very kind of you. I would love to get to know this world and what it's like," Tikal said.

Vector and Charmy smiled and looked at each other. Vector whispered to Charmy something that neither Espio or Tikal could hear. Espio just looked back for a second. He only thought that it had to do with hooking him up with this girl. _These guys are obsessed with setting me up with that girl. This is getting out of hand. _He faced the front and just shook his head.

After those two had finished whispering, they had all gotten to the platform. They tapped the button and left through the portal. As they left, Knuckles looked on in wonder. "Hmm, I guess they'll be alright, but I should talk to Tails, and ask him to keep an eye on them," he said. He turned and went towards his house to give Tails a call.

Meanwhile, The group had teleported back to the mainland. Espio concentrated again and picked up the trail again. They all followed as Espio led the way back through the jungle. Along the way, Vector and Charmy were filling Tikal in on what this world is like. They were telling her about all the fun stuff she could do, and all the areas she should visit. Tikal listened intently and smiled at what wonders this world has to offer. _This world sounds so interesting. I hope I get to enjoy some of it before we have to take Chaos back._ She thought about that and they continued on their way.

The team stopped for a break. The trail was leading them back to Station Square. Espio was wondering where this monster was going. _This Chaos seems intent on going towards the city for some reason. What it is, I don't know. We better find him before anyone gets hurt. _He was concerned of the safety of others and for his friends as well. As he was thinking to himself, Vector and Charmy were still sharing everything with Tikal about this world. They had just finished talking about everything they could share with her. All Tikal could do was just sit there and soak in all the info. She was so interested in finding out everything about this world. Finally, after they had shared everything, she decided to ask them, "So, how did you guys become these heroes, or what you call detectives?" Charmy and Vector just gave her blank stares at first, and Espio was just focused on the road ahead. Then, Vector and Charmy both smiled.

"Well, we formed the Chaotix Detective agency a few years back as a means to make a living at first, but then we later enjoyed helping people, so we decided that we wanted to keep this job going. Some of the things we've done have been weird, funny, or pointless, but we still did it. Anyways, then a few months ago, we got a mission to help this one guy, Dr. Eggman, who was in trouble. He needed our help rescuing him and battling this big monster. So, we stepped up and tried to do our best. In the end, we defeated the monster and got rewarded for it. That leads us up to right now," Vector shared. Tikal's eyes widened at how remarkable her new friends were. Charmy just nodded in agreement with his leader. Espio shook his head knowing that Vector was just exaggerating a few details to impress their client.

Vector decided to continue, "We have been through a lot as a team. My brains have helped us solve a lot of problems. Charmy has been very good at giving us the direction we need, but Espio has been the biggest help. Without his ninja skills, we wouldn't be able to get out of the tightest spots. He has been able to save more people than I can imagine. Plus, his stealth skills have really come to help us in a jam, and his climbing has also given us an advantage to when we needed to reach new heights. Yep, Espio is a precious member to our team." Espio jumped a little and turned his head at the mention of his name. He knew that Vector was building him up so that Tikal would be impressed. Espio just turned his head, blushed, and face palmed himself.

Tikal was impressed alright, though. She couldn't believe that Espio was so great of a hero. She had never met somebody this great since Sonic and Knuckles. She looked over at him, his back still turned, and gazed at him for a few seconds. _This guy seems to be really good. I hope I really get to know him. _She hoped that she would get a moment with him along the journey. Little did she know that that was going to happen within the confines of Vector's and Charmy's little plan.

Vector decided to ask a question this time, "So, Tikal, tell us about yourself. We shared a little about us, but we want to get to know you." She turned to face Vector and smiled.

"Well, I am the daughter of the leader of my clan. I have a grandmother as well. My people and I lived in peace for quite some time. We kept watch over the Chaos emeralds and the Master Emerald. We were happy to be a people that were guardians. Sadly, though, that came crashing down one day. My grandfather decided to try and steal the emeralds for himself. He was stopped, but the whole plan wanted us to develop a way of defending the emeralds should anyone try it again. So, we made the monster, Chaos. He was great at first, but then he turned on us and nearly wiped us out. You know the rest of the story from there. So, you know a little more about me now," She said.

She just smiled after she had shared all of it. Vector and Charmy listened intently to the whole story and were surprised by the woman who was from a different time. Espio, who look uninterested with his back turned, actually listened to the story and was shocked by how much this girl had to endure. _This girl has been put through so much. From family betrayal to the near destruction because of this monster. I promise to help her and put an end to this monster once and for all. _He clenched his fists as he made the silent vow. He then turned to the other and looked at them, "We better get going. We don't want the trail to get cold. Let's go." The group nodded, got up, and continued following the trail.

While they were one their way, there was a certain satellite watching them from high above. They didn't know, but it was Tails keeping an eye on the group the whole time. He had heard what happened to Knuckles back at Angel Island, and was just following up to make sure the team would be alright with whatever the mission was for them. He knew at the moment there was trouble, he would have to spring into action.

The group had arrived at Station Square. Tikal was in culture shock. She had never seen a city before. It seemed a little much to draw in, but she was doing her best. Sadly, the trail had grown cold. Espio tried to pick it back up, but it was no use.

"I hate to say it, but we can't continue any further. We better try our best to think where Chaos went. Okay," he said.

"Okay, but I'm a little tired. I want something to eat," yelled Charmy. Espio dropped his head in disappointment.

"I agree. I think we better stop and eat," added Vector. Espio shook his head. He couldn't believe his team wanted to eat at a time…that's when his stomach growled. Espio looked surprise, but knew that they better do what they said. "Okay, time for lunch, then," suggested Espio. Tikal was getting hungry and was happy that they were all going to eat.

They all decided to go to a pizza restaurant. Mostly, they wanted Tikal to get the taste of their food in this time. They walked into one and saw some tables. Espio was going to table set for four, but was redirected by Vector and Charmy.

"We want you guys to sit and eat over here. Just you and Tikal. Charmy and I will eat at this table behind you," said the crocodile. Vector pushed Espio into the table. Then, Charmy and him sat in the booth behind them. Charmy and Vector gave each other a thumbs up. This was all part of their "master" plan to get Tikal to like Espio.

Espio was redder than an apple. He couldn't believe had been duped by those two. Tikal sat down across from him and smiled at his face. Espio didn't know how to react at first, but just smiled back at her. She was just so focused on Espio at that time. He was a little nervous to be sitting across from a really cute girl.

The waiter came over and the two groups both ordered their pizzas. After the waiter left, there was still some awkwardness between Tikal and Espio, but it seemed okay to them. They were still getting used to being around each other. Charmy and Vector were still laughing at how they pulled off the first part of their plan.

Then, Tikal broke the silence, "So, Espio, I've told you a little about my past. What can you tell me about your past?" Espio wasn't ready for that question. He gulped a bit. No one had ever asked him about his past. It was a really awkward situation. _I guess there's no way around it. _He thought. _It's just my past. Nothing too bad. _He exhaled a little and got ready to share.

"Much of my past I don't know about. I only remember a few things. When I was young, I was abandoned by my parents at a local dojo, or a training area. The leader there took me in as his own. As I was growing up, the leader trained me in the ways of being a ninja. It was hard at first, but I learned quickly. I decided that I would train myself in ninjutsu all the time to help develop my body more and to help defend my friends. At 15, I decided to strike it out on my own, and I left the dojo. A couple of months later, I ran into Vector and Charmy. They saw my skills and wanted me to help them as part of their agency. I decided it would be a great way to defend others, so I joined them. And here I've been ever since," he shared.

Tikal's eyes widened at Espio's story. "Wow, that's amazing. So, tell me, what is a ninja? I've never heard of one where I'm from," she asked.

Espio gulped a little and went forward, "A ninja is like a warrior. We are masters of stealth, fighting, and intelligence. We are trained in elaborate ways to fight with different weapons than what other people use. I am trained in using such weapons," he shared.

Tikal started to feel uneasy, "So, you like to fight?" Tikal was opposed to fighting and didn't like to see it used for power or harm. She was a big pacifist. Espio looked at her strangely, "If you're saying I like to hurt people or cause harm. No, I don't like to fight. If you're saying I like to fight so I can defend my friends and those who are close to me. Yes, I do. I train in Ninjutsu so that I can be a master of Self-defense. I don't try to use my fighting to exercise power, but to train myself in being a guardian for others and to help my body. That's why I enjoy ninjustu. Not for pleasure, but for the art of helping others," he said.

Tikal felt her uneasiness fade as she heard his answer. _He's different than a lot of other people. _She thought about all the others who have used their fighting to gain power or hurt others. She had never really thought of the possibility of someone using fighting to defend for the weak. She smiled at the thought of Espio being a guardian.

"Okay, that's good to hear. I have seen what fighting has done to warriors. It isn't pretty. I'm strongly opposed to fighting as a means of power. It's good to hear about a warrior who practices restraint with his fighting. Espio, you are a different person, and I like that you don't try and use your fighting to hurt others," Tikal said. Espio was relieved that Tikal didn't hate him. He agreed with her on that point. He had seen what people with power can try and do to prove their will. He smiled at what her and him saw eye to eye.

Vector and Charmy were impressed with the conversation. They liked how their teammate was honest and how the direction of the conversation was heading in a positive direction. They knew, then, that this girl was something different and right for Espio.

The pizza came and everyone enjoyed their meal. Tikal enjoyed the food, since she never had pizza before, and ate it up with delight. Tikal and Espio continued their talk. They shared about their favorite foods, colors, funny moments, etc. Vector and Charmy smile at each other knowing that they made a match.

After they finished their meal, Vector and Charmy walked up to the other two, "So, we think it's time to take Tikal clothes shopping. We don't want people all around to think Tikal is a weirdo. So, let's go to a nearby clothing shop where Espio will help you look for clothes." Espio jumped a little at his friend's proposal. He couldn't believe he was being set up again. He shook his head at their actions, but Tikal agreed to it.

The group went to the closest clothes store and "allowed" Tikal and Espio to go inside. Vector and Charmy stood outside laughing to themselves more. Espio was embarrassed by his friends actions. They were really attempting to get him set up.

The two looked around the clothing store for a while. For the most part, Tikal couldn't believe the clothes people wore in this time. Espio was no fashion expert, but he did know what girls mostly wore around most of the time. He helped Tikal pick out an ensemble and let her go to the dressing room to try it on. He waited patiently for her to exit. When she did, Espio blushed greatly. He couldn't believe how beautiful Tikal looked in the outfit.

"So, how do I look? Am I like most of the girls of this time," she asked.

Espio, still caught off guard at her beauty, answered, "You..look…beautiful. I can't express how great you look. You have blown me away," Espio said. Tikal just blushed at Espio's compliments. They took the outfit tags to the register and paid for it.

As they exited, both Charmy and Vector were impressed at what clothes Espio chose for Tikal to wear. They gave them a thumb's up.

"Alright, fun aside, we better get back to the case. Now, Espio, find the trail," ordered Vector.

"Roger," Espio replied. He started to concentrate on everything in trying to find a trail. He searched greatly, but couldn't find the trail. He then noticed a change in a lot of people's actions from his senses. People seemed to be running away from something that was going on. He then noticed what they were running from: Eggman robots. He opened his eyes. "There are robots in the city. They seem to be coming this way. I don't know if they are coming for us, but we need to prepare for anything."

Just then they heard a missile launch. They saw the missile rise over the top of the buildings and turned towards them. It was headed straight for their direction.

**I will stop the chapter here. Cliff hanger. I know, but this sets up the story perfectly. Please review and follow if you like this. Thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 3:Distraction

**Chapter 4 : Distraction **

**Hi everyone. Here is Chapter 4. Sorry for the long wait! Again, I don't own any of this, and any story ideas are made up by me. Enjoy! **

The missile was getting closer to the group. Everyone stared in fear as it drew closer. Tikal was getting weak in the knees when she fell to the ground, but she felt a tug pulling out of its path as it flew past her. She didn't notice that Espio had grabbed her and pulled her to safety at the last second.

On the other side of the missile, Vector grabbed Charmy as the missile came close, and threw him out of the way as the missile hit the building.

The explosion rocked the area causing an immense amount of damage.

Tikal heard a ringing in her ear from the explosion, and slowly got up to notice the damage around her. She was filled with fear as she noticed a figure coming to her. She curled into a ball as it came closer. That's when she noticed that it was Espio. He picked her up on her feet. She didn't hear a word he was saying from the ringing in her ear, but could make out his lips as he said, " Are you okay? " She nodded, and he took her hand and led to safety.

They started yelling out to Vector and Charmy to find them, and then heard their voices and ran to them. When they saw them, they were glad to see them in good condition.

"You alright, guys," yelled Vector. They both nodded in agreement. "Good, but who fired that missile," asked Vector.

"Uh, Boss, we have a problem. .. a BIG problem," exclaimed Charmy. He pointed in his direction to show a legion of Robots coming their way.

"Vector, what are we going to do," questioned Espio. Vector gulped and realized the number of robots coming, and knew it was about them. That's when he came up with a plan.

"Espio, take Tikal and go. We will fight off the enemy until we can't any longer," ordered the alligator. Espio looked on in disbelief, "Wait, we can..."called out Espio, but he was interrupted by Vector, "That's an order, NOW Do it."

Espio just nodded and turned to Tikal, grabbed her hand, and ran off. Vector turned to face the army of robots coming at them, and looked at Charmy, "you ready for this," asked the reptile. "You kidding, I was born for this, let's rock and roll." They ran full speed at the army to fight them.

Meanwhile, Espio and Tikal had been going through the crowded streets dodging people while Espio had been trying to follow his senses to get a safe route to out of the city. They had decided to catch their breath for a minute.

"Ok, I can't find a route out of here. My senses are all over the place. Need to think,"said Espio as he came up with a plan. Tikal fell to the ground, tired and afraid, "Espio, I'm have to go back and help Vector and Charmy. They could die."

"I know that, but we have to have hope. We have to keep going. Those things are after you. Vector saw that, and that's why we are here. We need to get out of here, and find Chaos. He could be anywhere. We will get out of here, and find him, and stop him."

"Well, I am going back to help them," Tikal said as she got up to leave, but as she did she felt Espio grab her hand.

"I can't let you do that. We are going to get out of here, but I need to find a safe route. Where...", that's when an idea came to him. He grabbed her and pulled her upto his arms, and ran up a skyscraper. He looked around at the top to sensemble a safe route.

"That's better, ok, I can sense a lot of danger that way , but...I got it. I found a way out, come on,"urged Espio, but Tikal turned away from him, "No, you can't make me."

Espio just shook his head in disbelief, "That wasn't a request," he said as he ran up and grabbed her into his arms and, they ran off to escape.

Meanwhile. ..

Vector and Charmy were holding their own, but were getting fatigued from the fight, and the bots were closing in.

"Well, I guess this is it, boss. It was nice knowing you," said Charmy.

Vector shook his head, "I don't know about you, but I am going to live until one of these things kill me," he said as he braced himself for the robots attack.

Suddenly, there came a flurry of explosions around them that eliminated a chunk out of the robots. They looked around to see a plane fly by. It was the Blue Tornado, piloted by Tails, with Sonic and Knuckles riding shotgun. Vector and Charmy looked in total shock as those three had been rescued by those three...again. Tails came around for another pass, this time letting off Knuckles and Sonic. The two landed and started fighting towards Vector and Charmy. The other two looked over, shrugged, and fought their way to them as well.

On the edge of the Forest, Espio and Tikal had safely gotten out of the city. They stopped for a short break.

"Well, we are safe for the moment, " Espio said gasping for air.

"Yeah, but I am still worried about the other two,"said a concerned Tikal.

"I understand, but I sense the battle is turning around for them...yes, they are winning. Wait, what is that,"said a worried Espio. He could see danger coming their way. Espio didn't know what to do.

**That's all for now. please review and like. **


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